


...And the Nightmare Cure

by queenbookwench



Series: ...And the Fountain of Youth [1]
Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 10:57:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5454155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbookwench/pseuds/queenbookwench
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an "unfortunate Fountain of Youth situation,"  Eve, Jenkins and their (now pint-sized) Librarians pass a restless night.  </p><p>At least they have Disney movies and midnight snacks (and each other). </p><p>Set vaguely post 2.08 ("And the Point of Salvation"), with general spoilers for same, but it sort of ignores the final scene/set-up for 2.09.    Eve & Flynn are "it's complicated." </p><p>Musing about what the librarians' favorite Disney movies would be somehow led me to this; apparently self-indulgent h/c fluff is what my brain wants to write for this fandom?  Enjoy!</p><p>(This is an <i>in media res</i> bit of what may end up being a longer series; basically, I left all the plotty bits out, but reserve the right to put them back in later.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	...And the Nightmare Cure

This time, Eve and Jenkins set up the cots in Jenkins’ personal quarters, in the living room. Jenkins had attempted to offer Eve his bed, but she insisted on taking the living room couch.

“That thing looks pretty comfortable. I’ve certainly slept on much worse.  Just humor me here, Jenkins.”

He had smiled and bowed himself out, understanding without needing to say so out loud.

While her charges drifted off quickly, exhausted by the events of the day, Eve struggled to relax her vigilance enough to fall asleep.  She really _ought_ to rest--tomorrow was going to be interesting, probably in an ancient-Chinese-curse kind of way.

 

She did eventually drift off, though it took some time. She wasn’t sure how long she had slept when something roused her. Her soldier’s reflexes had her on her feet while her mind was still sleep-fogged. Then she heard it--a high, aching sob coming from one of the cots. _Ezekiel_. Her feet carried her to the side of his cot almost without volition; he tossed and turned, clearly still lost in the dream.

She reached down and gently shook his shoulder.  “Hey, hey.  Wake up, Ezekiel.”

He opened his eyes and almost instinctively reached for Eve, who gathered him into her arms; _he's all pointy elbows at this age_ , a small corner of her mind observed. At first he couldn’t speak, hiding his face in the curve of her shoulder and trembling.

Eve rocked him a little, stroked a hand up and down his slender back.

After a while, Ezekiel caught his breath and looked up.

“Want to tell me about it?” She half-expected a muttered, sullen “No, go away.”

Instead, he whispered, “You kept _dying_. You _all_ kept dying.”

She murmured, “I’m right here. See, we’re all fine. You saved us, remember?”  

He held onto her a little more tightly and she squeezed him back. “It was more than just a dream, wasn’t it?” he asked.

At that moment she so wished she could lie to him, but she nodded. “It wasn’t real, exactly, it was some kind of quantum virtual reality situation...thing.  But it was more than just a dream. You said you didn’t remember, but it must have been stored somewhere in your mind.”

Ezekiel gave her a little crooked smile that didn’t really belong on an eight-year-old’s face. “And this,” he said, gesturing to himself, “which I was really hoping was part of the dream, by the way, is bringing it to the surface. Huzzah, lucky me.”

Eve smiled a little despite herself; it was good to see him feeling recovered enough to be sarcastic.  “Yeah, tough luck all round, kiddo.”

“Nightmares suck,” he muttered.  

“Yeah, they’re pretty much the worst,” Eve agreed. Ezekiel gave her another sideways look, as if checking to see whether she might be mocking him.

“No, really, I have my share,”  she said quietly, looking him in the eye.

He looked away, sliding out of her her arms. His feet made a solid thunk as they hit the floor next to the cot and Eve put her finger to her lips, pointing to Jake & Cassandra still asleep.

He nodded, but whispered, “I really, really don’t think I can go back to bed right now.”

“Fair enough. I think it’s midnight snack time for us night owls. Let’s go see if Jenkins has anything good in his fridge.”

 

A few minutes later, Eve had put Ezekiel to work stirring the milk for hot chocolate (“It’s hot _cocoa_ , Eve, don’t you know _anything_?”) She was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for herself and a vegemite sandwich for Ezekiel. Her exaggerated faces of disgust at the latter made him quiver with silent laughter. ( _Of course, Jenkins has vegemite. Why am I even surprised?_ she thought)

A shuffling sound made her turn around; Jenkins himself stood in the doorway, wearing soft slippers and a blue silk robe over his pajamas. “Warn a person next time!" Eve said. "You’re like a ninja. And I can really say that now that I’ve fought some actual ninjas.”

Jenkins smirked a little. “Given that you are the one raiding my kitchen, I think I can sneak up on you if I like. Constant vigilance, Colonel Baird, constant vigilance.”

“You’ve read Harry Potter?!” exclaimed Ezekiel. “What am I saying, ‘course you have.”

“I was, in fact, aware of Ms. Rowling’s novels before they became an international phenomenon, 'before it was cool,' you might say.”

Ezekiel laughed. “Hearing you say 'cool' is _really_ weird.”

“I’m sorry we had to borrow your kitchen supplies,” Eve said. “I’ll swing by Albertson’s tomorrow and get you some more milk.”

That’s quite all right, Colonel Baird. If I didn’t share, I would be a poor host indeed.  Is there enough milk left for tea? I was just going to make myself a cup.”

“Want a sandwich?” Eve asked.  “We have peanut butter and jelly or vegemite.”

Jenkins accepted, and for a while they prepared in companionable silence.

 

Then, a stifled whimper came from the next room.  Eve and Jenkins exchanged glances and he slipped out. Soon, she could hear the low, soothing rumble of his voice without being able to make out many words.  Finally, he returned; this time with an arm around Jake. The boy’s face was pale and blotchy beneath his freckles. He stood close to Jenkins, leaning into his side and staring at the ground.  

Eve went over to him. “You couldn’t sleep either?” she asked. He shook his head and looked away, avoiding her eyes. She gestured around the room. “Join the club; you’re in good company.” Reaching out, she ruffled his hair a little. “That’s a pretty serious case of bedhead you’ve got going there. Want some hot chocolate?”

“Yeah...I mean, yes ma’am,” he mumbled.

The corners of Eve’s mouth twitched up. “Jake, what did I say about ma’am-ing me?”  

“Um, that I didn’t hafta. And, uh, that it made you feel weird and start looking around for your mom. You’re...you’re not mad, are you?”  

Eve smiled, “Nope, not mad. But you can stand down, soldier. Just “Eve” is fine.”  

“All right miss--Eve.”    

“I believe the hot chocolate is ready.” Jenkins said, peering into the pan that Ezekiel was still diligently stirring.  

Meanwhile Eve studied Jake covertly, worried.  This whole business was clearly doing a number on Ezekiel, but he had also reached out to her. Jake seemed to be withdrawing into himself.

“It don’t seem right without Cassie here,” Jake said. “Can I go wake her up?”  

“Let her sleep,” Eve replied.  “I’ll make her some in the morning. At least one of us will have a good night’s rest, then.”

 

Just then, they all heard a distinct and forceful, “No!”

Cassandra sounded more angry than fearful, so Eve and the others waited a moment. Her raised voice continued, “Put me back! This is a stupid dream. Magic is real and my friends are real, so get me out of This. Stupid. Hospital.” Her voice broke a little on the word “hospital,” and Eve said, half to herself, “Ok, that’s it,” and went in.

She shook Cassandra, who woke  and launched herself outward, wrapping her arms around Eve’s neck. “You _are_ real. You’re not imaginary. I mean, I believed, I always believed. But...maybe I doubted for a minute. You’re so tall, though--why are you so tall?”  

She looked down at herself, “Oh, wait. That happened.”

“Yup,” said Eve. “The whole Fountain of Youth situation, definitely not a dream.” Cassandra scrutinized Eve’s face, and Eve wondered what it was she was looking for.

Then Cassandra spoke, words tumbling out of her mouth so fast they almost tripped over each other, “But even though I look eleven and feel eleven I don’t have to go to school tomorrow, right? Because magic library and it’s really 2015 and I don’t live in New York City anymore and...”

“It’s okay, Cassandra,” Eve interrupted, “I promise, you don’t actually have to go to middle school.”

Cassandra smiled like the sun. “Okay, then I think I can deal until we fix this.”

“Nobody else could sleep either, so we’re having midnight snacks.”

 

“Ooh, I love midnight snacks!” She rushed into the kitchen, and Jake lit up at her arrival; Ezekiel smiled as well.

“Hey, it’s Math Girl! Too bad, we drank all the hot chocolate without you!”

“You did not!” she said, mock-swatting him on the arm.

“All right, all right, we saved you some! Don’t hurt me!” Ezekiel exclaimed, enacting an elaborate fake swoon. She gave him a quick hug.  

"C’mere, you,” she motioned to Jake, who still hung back uncertainly. She hugged his shoulders, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, hiding his face.

Cassandra surveyed both boys. “I’m the oldest _and_ the tallest right now. I could get used to that!”  

“You better not start trying to boss us about!” Ezekiel protested.

“Hah!” Cassandra replied. “Like I don’t do that already!”

They teased back and forth while they sipped their hot chocolate. Jake said very little, but seemed a little more relaxed.

 

Eve leaned on the kitchen doorframe and surveyed her crew.  “Okay, I think it’s probably safe to say that no one feels like trying to go right back to sleep.” They shook their heads, almost in unison.  

“Jenkins, I hate to impose more than we already have, but do you have anything that might keep us entertained for awhile?”

“I most certainly do. Follow me!”  They went back to the living room, strung behind Jenkins like a line of ducklings.  The caretaker opened an ornately carved cabinet facing the couch, to reveal a very modern TV and entertainment system.  

He cued up Netflix, which led to a short digression into everyone’s favorite Disney movies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cassandra’s was _Beauty and the Beast_ , while Ezekiel was all about _Robin_ _Hood_ (and demonstrated it by singing the theme song off-key, in his Australian accent).  Eve finally confessed that she loved _Mulan_. Jake shyly admitted that _Atlantis_ was his actual favorite, even though he admired the classics made by Walt Disney himself. Jenkins’ response was, “anything but that travesty they released under the name of _The Sword in the Stone_!”

They all loved _Lilo & Stitch_ but agreed that they didn’t want to watch something too emotional, so the compromise choice was _The Emperor’s New Groove_.  Jenkins disappeared to the kitchen once more, returning with a large bowl of popcorn, and pretty soon everyone was laughing at Emperor Kuzco’s ridiculous antics.

 The occasional rants (mostly by Jake, with occasional contributions by Cassandra) about Disney’s utter lack of anything resembling historical accuracy were part of the entertainment, ritually brought an end by Ezekiel elbowing one or the other of them and saying, “C’mon, mate, let’s just watch the movie.”

 

Gradually, everyone started to relax, but Eve still felt a little on edge.

 A muffled thunk from the outer part of the annex caught her attention and she slipped out to investigate. A familiar form stood in the ante-chamber: Flynn, who whirled around when she entered. He wore a somewhat sheepish expression, tinged with guilt.  “I’m sorry, I...I didn’t mean to disturb you or startle you...I was just going to slip in, slip out, not get in anyone’s way.  Wait, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

 “We’re camping out here for a little while; there was an, ah, Fountain of Youth complication.”

Flynn’s eyes widened.

 “It could have been much worse.  Right now, we’re all watching Disney movies to keep the nightmares away. There’s room on the couch if you want to join us.”

 “I’m-I--my mission,” he started to protest, then stopped, as if he’d forgotten the rest of his sentence. He looked haggard and utterly exhausted.  

 Eve thought to herself, _I am so going to regret this later_. Then she grabbed his lapel. “Come on, sit down before you fall down.  There might even be some popcorn left.”

  
  



End file.
